


Monsters

by Depths



Series: Linked Universe Oneshots [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Action, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Linktober 2020, Magic, Nausea, Protectiveness, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Sick Character, Team Dynamics, Team as Family, Twilight (Linked Universe) – POV, Wild (Linked Universe) Angst, Wolf Link (Legend of Zelda), a lil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:15:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27161002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Depths/pseuds/Depths
Summary: They were dropped into the middle of Wild's Hyrule in the dead of night, with maybe an hour to escape the blood moon turning a graveyard into a battlefield.(Or: The boys first blood moon.)
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Four & Twilight (Linked Universe), Legend & Twilight (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked Universe Oneshots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982555
Comments: 30
Kudos: 532





	Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> Companion fic to Hunted from day 15!
> 
> Linktober day 23: monsters. aka the only reason this oneshot became a fight scene instead of my usual style lmfao

Twilight loved his Hyrule. He was a part of it just as it was a part of him, just as all of them carried a bit of their worlds with them. The way everything would just click into place after a shift— there was nothing like it.

The only thing better was watching the others recognize their homes. The instinctive first pull of ocean air, the distant cry of a loftwing, the pull of ancient magic. It never took longer than a moment.

They shifted in the middle of the night, dumped into unrecognizable ruins, and Wild tensed so quickly Twilight heard something in his jaw pop.

Bright eyes turned towards them. Wild’s scarred hands whipped out a burning blade. It glowed like its own campfire when he stabbed it into the ground. The others were too stunned into silence to do more than stare.  _ We need to move, _ he signed with such urgency that Twilight could barely make out his hands in the dim light.  _ Leave ruins. Head to Stable, east, safe for the night. _

“Wh—huh?” Wind sputtered. “Is this place dangerous? There’s no one around, we could set up a fire here, couldn’t we?” Most of them had quickly shaken off any lingering grogginess, but Wind was still rubbing at his eyes. “Is it gonna rain?”

They all looked up wearily but Wild was already shaking his head. He yanked his flameblade from the dirt and began picking his way out of the ruins without a word, leaving them with nothing to do but follow him.

"Do I even want to ask what your world could throw at us if not rain?" Legend muttered. Twilight caught Warriors glancing at him, expression pinched. "What? You can't seriously give  _ me _ that look, last time it was a horde of keese, and before that it was a lightning storm, and before  _ that _ ––"

Wild spun on them, face tight.  _ Move, _ he signed, every motion jerky and tense, and they all fell quiet.  _ If we're lucky, we'll make it before midnight. This is a bad spot. _

There was nothing there. Nothing around them. Twilight couldn't hear anything even if he strained his ears.

That didn't always mean much in Wild's Hyrule.

Twilight reached for his crystal. The others looked up as he transformed, watching him survey their surroundings with new air. He couldn't smell much more than rot in the ruins. Rot and crumbling stone dust and the ever-present smell of fresh rain in the grass. The hints of malice remained even years after Wild's own adventure. It was thick and cloying in the back of his throat.

They gingerly left the ruins of the home and Twilight felt all his fur rise off his back.

Castle Town remained desolate before them. Even emptier than he had thought was possible. The faint smell of Hylians still clung fresh to every brick, every scrap of wood and cloth, and yet––

"I thought you were rebuilding," Hyrule whispered. "Why is it so quiet?"

Wild didn't even glance back to entertain an answer. The other Link was doggedly fixated on the entrance of the Castle grounds. Twilight wasn’t honestly sure if he had even heard Hyrule speak. After a tense moment, they all continued after him.

The air in Castle Town, even after Wild's world had begun to rebuild it, still felt... wrong. It remained faintly poisonous, almost. As if the malice that had pooled there for a century left scorch marks forever. Twilight found his paws veering around empty sections of cobblestone. His fur never settled.

None of the others looked better. Sky winced with every footstep that echoed in the emptiness. Legend physically twitched when he walked through the imprints of age-old malice. Even Time, unflappable as always, kept his hand tight around the hilt of his blade.

The long cross of the courtyard, picking carefully across half-recovered ruins, only made them feel worse and worse. Twilight could smell the way Hyrule and Legend were starting to sweat, their breathing labored. "What is wrong with this place?" Legend whispered frantically. He tugged at his collar uselessly, hands shaky. "It's even... it's worse than last time."

Warriors shot him another look. Twilight’s hackles rose as he immediately paused. Both of their eyes widened as they took in their resident sorcerer’s pallid face. Hyrule stopped at Legend's side, looking halfway ready to collapse into him. "The magic build up here is... is worrying," Hyrule managed. 

Wild refused to look back even as they all stopped walking. He moved even faster for the exit, almost as if none the wiser to his companions’ struggles. Twilight barked. He nearly flinched back when Wild turned at the sound. His eyes were brighter than ever, electric-hot. He looked feverish in the low light, the scars on his face pale and ghostly against his skin. 

The near glow to his eyes didn't stop even as he rushed back towards them.  _ Move, _ he commanded again.  _ Move, move, move. _

"We  _ can't," _ Legend snapped. His hands were braced on his knees now. Twilight whined, leaning up against him. It only made him more worried when the other willingly placed a steadying hand on his back, trembling fingers digging into his fur. "We can't, it's too much–– how are you even  _ breathing _ with this much magic in the air?"

"Wild," Time cut in, "How much time do we have before whatever is going to happen happens?"

Wild made a few frantic gestures before glancing down at his slate.  _ Hour, maybe, _ he signed quickly.  _ Need to keep moving. _ He stared Time down, expression halfway between desperate and determined. The look on his face was already enough to get them moving even as he emphatically signed  _ need _ over and over. 

Time nodded. All of them ignored Legend's yelp as he scooped him off the ground. "Someone get Hyrule," He said. It wasn't a request. Hyrule only whispered a weak  _ thank you _ as Warriors went to him, slumping against his offered back gratefully.

Twilight spared a look for Four. The other welcomed him at his side with a pet to his head he just barely allowed, leaning against his brother’s side with a questioning huff. Though Four stumbled when he walked forward, he shook his head. "I don't need to," He said. His voice was only a little breathless. "I'll be okay. It's not so bad. I... I just need to get used to it." 

There was no getting used to it. Twilight was nowhere as attuned to magic as Legend or Hyrule, or Four, or even Time, but the dense rise of unnatural energy in the air was unmistakable. It made the very air thick and heavy in his throat. 

They looked up to see Time critically eyeing them both. None of them said a word. After a moment of hesitation, Four slid onto Twilight's back. 

_ Move, _ Wild signed with finality.  _ Fast. _

Leaving Castle Town's immediate grounds was barely any better. The grass outside, usually cool and soft in Wild's time, felt itchy under Twilight's paws. The dirt that clung to his toes almost seemed sticky. He had to ignore the urge to shake off with every step, hyper aware of the way Four was beginning to slump on his back. The shake of his hands was nowhere near as bad as Legend's had been, but Twilight could still feel them vibrate through his back when the other gripped his fur in weak handfuls.

Wild walked faster. He was almost running. Even in the dark, Twilight could see the rigid line of his shoulders rising to his ears.

They all flinched when the world began to tint red. Wind looked up towards the sky and Twilight watched, frozen, as his eyes glowed red. "The moon is  _ red," _ he whispered. Sky looked up as well. Twilight didn't relax when he realized it was only a reflection. "Why is it red? It shouldn't be––"

_ "Blood moon," _ Sky said, voice breaking somewhere between awe and fear. "You mentioned a––"

_ "Move," _ Wild snarled out, rough and raw, and they all went silent. Twilight's hackles rose as he tapped at his slate, unfamiliar thick armor replacing his tunic and trousers. The plates of it glowed with the recognizable lines of the shrines and towers scattering his Hyrule. A strange helmet hid his fever-bright eyes.

Four tightened his grip on Twilight's back, breathing harshly against his scruff.

The atmosphere only continued to thicken. It was getting to a point where even Twilight felt his feet beginning to drag. Time's movements were becoming jerky and forced. Both Legend and Hyrule had fallen worryingly silent, dazed eyes tightly shut and panting against their respective rides' shoulders. 

The grass under Twilight's paws glinted a sickly red in the moonlight. He caught Sky and Wind continuously looking up, faces becoming more pinched with every glance. Neither of them said a word despite how their shoulders rose. 

Charred bits of ash and smoke began to rise from the ground. Twilight turned his head to avoid breathing in a flickering ember on the sudden breeze. "Guys," Wind said, voice high and tight. The magic was rising and rising and rising. They all could feel it. Wild growled loudly, face turning up towards the sky. Immediately, all hands went to weapons.

Twilight looked despite himself. His ears flattened against his head at the hazy clouds racing over the blood-red moon. He vaguely could hear Legend moaning in pain.

They all whipped around at a humming buzz of energy. WIld yanked a weapon a vibrant electric blue from his slate, its glow lighting up the scars of his face. 

The moon hit its peak. Hyrule  _ screamed. _ Twilight's senses went wild as the glowing soot in the air clumped together, materializing into behemoth structures that whirred and glowed a poisonous purple around them. Inky blackness threw sharp metal into stark relief, glinting the red of the moon. 

The guardians stood up on spindly legs, all across Hyrule field, and trained malice-filled eyes on them. Fast paced beeping filled the night air. 

_ "Run!" _ Wild screamed, the sound grating and painful, and threw himself into the laser focus of the machines.

There was no running. They were already on them. Four yelped when Twilight lunged into motion, ducking down to avoid being thrown off. A beam of white-hot energy whizzed past where his head had been. "How do we kill them?!" Warriors yelled. Hyrule's head lolled against his shoulder when he hoisted him up on his back, one free hand frantically fumbling for a shield.  _ "Wild?!" _

Twilight made a desperate dive into the dirt. Another blast hit the grass right next to him and sent both him and Four rolling across the hill, breath caught in their throats. Fire erupted in the grass where they had been a moment ago, singing the fur on Twilight’s haunches. 

He missed whatever Wild must have said or done–– the next thing he knew, Time was in front of him, hefting a shield between them and two approaching guardians. Legend pushed off his armor, falling against Twilight's side with a groan. The tiny fall was all it took to wind him, leaving him retching from nausea into the charred grass. 

"Pup," Time said. His voice was unwavering despite the red targeting beams blinking on his throat. "Protect them." 

Twilight fell back into his human form and scrambled to grab a shield of his own. The moment it was steady in his arms Time was streaking across the field towards Wind, drawing as many guardians away from his charges as possible. Wild's lithe form was only recognizable due to his glowing armor as he sliced clean through a mechanical spider leg, lunging for the machine's glowing eye. He couldn't even make out where Warriors and Hyrule had ended up. Sky was only visible for the briefest moment due to the glow of the master sword, the screech of steel and metal shrieking and painful even twenty-something feet away as it buried hilt deep into the guardian's eye.

One of the bodies at his back shifted. Twilight refused to risk looking back. He kept his eyes steady and watchful for any eye to turn his way even as weak fingers twisted into the edge of his tunic.  _ "Twi," _ Legend gasped out dizzily, "What–– What's––?"

Another shift. "It's... getting better," Four groaned. 

Twilight breathed out shakily, relieved to hear them struggling to get to their feet. He still reached blindly behind him and shoved them both down. Legend made a sick, wet noise at the jerky motion. "Don't," He hissed. He kept his eyes trained forward. "Don't get up. You might draw another over." Another slice, another leap. Time sliced two legs clean through, grounding a guardian. Twilight didn't need a wolf's vision to catch the glint of ancient blue in Wild's hands as Wind helped fling him skyward, a volley of arrows flying into an approaching guardian's eye before it could fire. 

He was glad beyond relief to catch the blue of Warriors' scarf, even frayed and scorched as it was, making its way over to them. "Take him," He hissed, short and fast. Four eased forward in Twilight’s stead, ignoring Legend's halfway-pained curse as Twilight kept him down. Barely a moment after Hyrule left his back and Warriors was already sprinting full-tilt back across the field, his sword glinting in the dark. 

"You okay?" Four asked.

Hyrule blinked blearily up at them from Four's arms. "Uh," He said. Legend groaned, sounding equally as nauseous.

"Okay," Four said, and looked past Twilight, following his gaze towards the others. "That's okay. It's almost over."

It really was. The guardians were huge–– far larger than any enemy Twilight could just find casually wandering his own Hyrule–– but there weren't too many of them. The few that followed the noise of battle were still  _ few. _

He still instinctively twitched forward when a beam of light clipped Wind's shield, redirecting it right at his feet and throwing him back. He rolled to his feet just as quickly, Sky sliding in front of him. But it ached painfully to not be able to do anything. To be  _ useless. _

"This sucks," Legend managed to grunt out, and Twilight couldn't help but agree.

The last guardian’s light winked out, flickering and sputtering, and sent Wild rolling off it’s lifeless mechanical husk to the grass. He stayed laying there even as Wind wandered over, gingerly poking at him. 

Time and warriors redirected back towards Twilight, leaving Sky to handle Wild. "Everyone okay?" Time asked. His shoulders loosened a tiny bit when they all stood up unassisted. "Legend? Hyrule?"

"Fine," Legend snapped. Hyrule and Four both nodded and Twilight was glad to see them only look slightly woozy doing it. "The worst has already faded. None of us even threw up, don't give us that look, Old Man."

Time gave him a  _ look. _ Legend just turned away. His hands still shook a little when he clenched them into fists.

"Later, then," Time said, and turned back towards where Wild had finally sat up.

They reached the others in time to catch the tail end of Wild's signing, his hand forming an unsteady  _ revive  _ to Wind and Sky. Sky turned towards them, his expression grim. "There shouldn't be another blood moon for a month," He elaborated, "But all of the guardians around the castle have revived. We all have to get to the closest stable before we can work on clearing them out." 

Wind shivered. "I don't want to fight those ever again, sorry Wild." 

Wild just shrugged. His armor clicked uncomfortably with the movement. Every motion he made hummed and clicked mechanically. It was making Twilight twitchy. 

His protege glanced at him for a moment before tapping at his slate. The armor vanished in a flash of light, replaced with Wild's usual blue tunic. Without the armor in the way, the wounds hidden under them were open to the air. The smell of smoke and cauterized flesh was thick even without his wolf form.

_ "Hylia," _ Warrior muttered, wincing.

Wild only shrugged again. It pulled the scarred flesh on his neck tight. Hyrule stepped forward, hands glowing, only for Wild to push him away, shaking his head.

"I'm fine," Hyrule said quietly. "The dizzy spell is gone. The sudden magic build up was just very intense for us." He pressed forward again. Wild shook his head. "Let me heal you, Wild."

_ Stable, _ Wild signed. He pointed towards the river. When Twilight squinted he could just make out the lights of a stable.  _ I'll heal there. We need to move. _

"You shouldn't walk around like that,” Hyrule protested. 

Another point, this time behind them. Twilight glanced over his shoulder and froze to see three more guardians over the hills, patrolling the fields. It took Wild tugging on his tunic to force him to turn back.

His protege's blue eyes were stern.  _ Stable, _ he signed again. No one argued. They only waited long enough for Wild to get himself to his feet, not bothering to point out how he leaned on Twilight's offered arm, and set as fast a pace out of the fields as they could.

"I'm not sure I like your blood moons," He muttered to Wild. "That really happens every month?" Wild's long hair tickled when he nodded.  _ "Ugh." _

It didn't get a laugh, but the body against his relaxed. Just a little.

They kept walking. 

**Author's Note:**

> this one REALLY fought me, and not just because I haven't written action scenes in like a year. Managing 9 characters, not counting the enemies, in a single action scene is EXHAUSTING. hope yall liked it, its probably my last linktober oneshot for this year ✌️🎉 Special thanks to my pal Lucky for sprinting it with me ❤️
> 
> As always, you can find me at [Leviathiane](https://leviathiane.tumblr.com) on tumblr!


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